Moving from children’s social care to adult social care

From 16, young people are legally responsible for some decisions, like choices about their education or further study. In partnership with their carers and parents, we’ll start to help them take responsibility for these decisions.

Organisations like the council, schools, colleges, health services and other agencies should continue to involve parents until the young person is 18. However, the young person should make the final decision.

The changing role of the parent or carer

When the young person reaches the age of 16, the role of their parent or carer changes. Their role is now to support the young person to make decisions, rather than making them on their behalf. 

It can be a difficult process of change for all parents, and particularly difficult for parents who have faced extra challenges when raising their children, like physical or mental disability or poor health.

We’ll help support parents and carers and the young person in their changing roles.

What decisions the young person can make

The young person can make decisions on:

• where they go to learn, like a specific college
• where they go to work and spend their money
• where they live and who they live with
• what activities they want to do
• who their friends are and how they spend their time
• what care and support they get

Their mental capacity to make their own decisions

If we think a young person might not be able to understand or make their own decisions, we look at their mental capacity under the Mental Capacity Act. 

Things that might impact someone’s mental capacity include:

• learning disability
• brain injury
• mental health issues
• stroke 

How we support them

As much as possible, we encourage young people to take responsibility for their own decisions and become independent adults.

However, we would not support a decision which places a young adult in a vulnerable position or at physical or mental risk. We’ll look at each situation from all perspectives and consider the potential benefits and risks to the young person before reaching a conclusion.